Spielberg’s “West Side Story” Trailer Dazzles Today
“Tonight, tonight,” longingly sings Rachel Zegler’s Maria to open to the brand-new trailer for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming feature film production of “West Side Story.” Originally written by iconic American composers Leornard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, 20th Century Fox released the trailer for the star-crossed love story earlier today.
“This is my first time in New York City. I want to be happy here. I want to make a life, a home,” Zegler continues to open the dramatic 2:15 preview.
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
As Maria prepares to attend her first dance hall, she is reminded that the night is “about family” from her older brother Bernardo (David Alvarez) with a stark warning issued for the first “gringo boy who smiles at you” that the Vasquez family sees at the event.
A Star-Crossed Romance
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
Of course, it takes only seconds in the preview until Maria spots Tony, played by Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in our Stars,” “Divergent”). Tony, a member of the local gange, the Jets, instantly falls for Maria, and the scene essentially fades around the two to showcase this moment in the trailer before they disappear under the bleachers.
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
“I’ve never seen you before. You’re not Puerto Rican,” Maria tells Tony. He replies asking her, “Is that okay” before Anita (Ariana DeBose) wittly asks him, “Do you wanna start World War 3?”
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
A Love Torn Apart
From there, the trailer delves into the darker sides of the story, based on Shakespear’s tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet.” The Jets march through the street and dialogue exposes how frustrated they are with the Sharks moving into their space. Of course, Maria’s family belongs to the rival gang.
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
The latter half of the trailer juxtaposes the violent strife between the gangs and the unending love that quickly develops between Maria and Tony. Incredible cinematography pans out to reveal the warehouse scene where the Jets and Sharks finally battle it out with shadows stretched long across the darkened ground before the trailer quickly flashes to Anita warning Maria that she will be outcasted if she chooses Tony over family.
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox
Glimpses of the extraordinary dance numbers and spell-binding score that the Broadway musical is famous for highlight vibrant costuming. Late in the trailer, we even get a preview of the appearance by legendary actress Rita Moreno, who starred as Anita in the original 1961 film version of the show.
We can’t wait to share #WestSideStory with the world! https://t.co/1PfkgVo7rd
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) September 15, 2021
Walt Disney Company Executive Chairman Bob Iger shared his excitement of the release on Twitter. The long-awaited film has a release date of December 10, 2021.
Feature Image Credit: Variety
